Vegans - are you male or female?

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Veganism is a lifestyle which is becoming increasingly popular in modern society - but what exactly does it entail?

According to the Vegan Society definition, "Veganism is a way of living which seeks to exclude, as far as is possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose."

This means as well as not eating meat, vegans won't eat dairy products or eggs, nor will they wear leather or fur.

According to American podcasters Emilie Aries and Bridget Todd, the amount of vegans in meat-eating countries is quickly growing.

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The hosts of the podcast Stuff Mom Never Told You discovered that there has been a 350 per cent increase of people adopting a vegan lifestyle in the UK, and in the US the number of vegans has risen to about 1 million people, or 2 per cent of the population.

The trend is even picking up steam here in Ireland, with Irish celebrities such as Rosanna Davidson, Holly White and Thalia Heffernan praising the healthy lifestyle.

Interestingly enough, however, despite the recent growth in vegans around the world, very few are men - 79% of vegans in the US are female, according to the podcasters.

So why aren't men adopting the lifestyle?

One theory is that men are hesitant to become vegan because meat has masculine connotations attached to it. In ads and popular culture, we often see men "manning" the grill and preparing thick steaks or burgers.

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Another is to do with body image, and the pressure on men to look fit, strong and healthy.

According to body image expert Professor Sarah Grogan, the increasing pressure for men to comply with the "metrosexual body ideology" of toned muscles and ripped abs results in them gravitating toward high-protein foods such as meat and eggs, despite the fact that plants can be high in protein, too.

Although there are various theories, there is no definite answer.

So we want to know, are you a vegan? If so, are you male or female? Vote in our poll above.